After a year and a half in mothballs and only used briefly to house Canada Winter Games athletes, the open sign is finally hanging on the door of the Days Inn.
The downtown Prince George hotel, known for most of its long life as The Simon Fraser, was the subject of some ownership transactions that turned out to be false starts. It was a gutted hulk by the time Compbell Columbia bought it.
But he had some advantages, like owning a granite business. He tapped into his industrial and construction resources to refurbish the interior of the aged and dilapidated structure.
When you walk through the front doors today, you wouldn't recognize the former place. The lobby, the bathrooms, the meeting rooms are all renovated into new spaces. The rooms are furnished simply, tastefully, and again the granite plays a noticeable role alongside wood features.
"It was in a terrible state," said Eddie Kam, a longtime Prince George real estate agent now acting as general manager of the Days Inn.
"It couldn't be fixed. It had to have a full transformation."
A lot of the work is still underway and many of the services slated for the near future have not been fully brought to life, but the hotel is officially open again.
"We are keeping our prices low to bring people back," said Lisa Zhang, another member of the new management team.
"We are the newest in town, it has been closed a long time, so we have to prove ourselves. Show what we have."
Some of the new services already in operation include a business centre with wide windows facing onto Quebec Street with the bright, high-ceiling lobby in the background, the three meeting rooms (each with a capacity of 50 and able to open into combined larger room for up to 150 in the one space), George's Barber Shop, fitness equipment, and food vendors set to launch in the days ahead.
"We have partnered with The Salted Cracker to have three locations within the hotel," said Kam.
"We will have a fine diner, a coffee shop and a sandwich spot."
The large banquet room is still under renovation but will be another key component of the hotel's new lease on life, said Kam.
The public is invited to come see the new look at Sixth Avenue and Quebec Street. A grand reopening event is scheduled for June 15.
